Are You Ready for Your Next Gig?

If you’re like me, you like to kick off the new year by reflecting on the goals you set last year and begin to set new ones for the coming year.

For a lot of people, their No. 1 New Year’s goal is to get new job or launch a new business.

Last month I offered tips to help you get a jump-start of your job search for 2017. So, hopefully, you have updated your résumé and LinkedIn profile, reached out to your network(s), and explored several job search websites, including AARP’s Employer Pledge Program, to see who’s hiring and what they are hiring for. Also, you may have brushed up on your interviewing skills. So now you’re ready to launch your job search by talking with prospective employers at the AARP Online Career Fair,  which will be Thursday, Jan. 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET.

This free event will feature more than 30 employers, including Hilton, the Washington Nationals, Goodwill, Avis/Budget, Jackson Hewitt and Army & Air Force Exchange, all of which are currently hiring. Let’s say you are contemplating retirement or just looking to supplement your income. A part-time gig could be an ideal situation to earn extra money, work flexible hours, work from home or work contractually. The job fair can help you find an employer to meet those desired needs.

The fair will feature live employer-led webinars and online chats on topics such as Freelancing into Retirement and Translating Life Experience into Skills when Working From Home.  You can also chat with career coaches, get access to free professional development resources and take advantage of a free résumé critique.

Perhaps you’ve been thinking about becoming an entrepreneur by starting a small business. The Small Business Administration (SBA) will be available throughout the day to answer your questions. It will host a live chat Starting a Small Business led by a representative from SCORE, one of  the SBA’s resource partners, to help you determine if starting a small business is right for you. It will also have a representative from its Women’s Business Center and the SBA District Office to answer specific questions about their services and resources.

Now is the time to get ready. Register today at www.aarp.org/parttimeworkfair! Be sure to do your homework and start preparing to talk with one of the many employers ready to hire. Not quite ready? No problem. Use these few weeks to get ready by visiting www.aarp.org/work to learn how you can fully prepare for your next great gig and how to get the most from the online career fair.

AARP helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities , strengthens communities and fights for and equips Americans 50 and older to live their best lives. Discover all the ways AARP can help you, your family and your community at AARP , and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo: AARP

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